Duplicating apparatus



M. c. HALE. DUPLICATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24', 19 21 I Patented NOV. 28, 1922.

awvwwoz I I IERLE C. HALE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T LITHOPRINT COMPANY ain or NEW YORK, me, ornrnw YORK, n. Y., A conroan'rron on'nnw YORK.

' nurrrca'rms ArrAnA'rUs;

Application filed February 24, 1921. Serial No. 447,424.

T 0 (ZZZ-w 7mm it concern Be it known thatl, MERLE C. HALE, a

citizen of the United States,-and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Duplicating Apparatus, of a which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto machines in the printing art and it particularly relates to duplicating machines which have surfaces for reacting with master sheets to form printing surfaces.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a duplicating apparatus provided with a work body capable of movement during printing operations, and with means for preparing the work body for printing operations, and with means for obliterating the printing surface after the printing has been completed.

Another object of this invention is to provide control means for governing the various parts of the apparatus under-varying conditions. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

' A selected embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a duplica ing apparatus;

Figure 2 is aside view thereof with some of the parts of the apparatus shown in section; and

Figure 3 is a view of a cutter which is associated with a portion of the machine.

Referring to these drawings, the embodiment selected for purposes of description and illustration preferabl includes a suitable flexible work body adapted to travel in a predetermined path, a means for automatioall preparing one of its surfaces for printing purposes, and means for obliterating the surfaceafter the printing has been completed. Further, the embodiment preferably includes an inking accessory to cooperate with the printing surface, a means for movably supporting a plurality of paper rolls, and suitable apparatus for controlling the movements of the various parts. The

particular embodiment herein selected relates to a machine which prepares duplicates by employing a chemical composition suchas a gelatin, and the following descrip- I tion will be directed in detail to this apparatus, but it is to be understood that this machine and its mode of operation is capable of. being employed with other types of duplicating material, I I

Referring now in detail to the drawings, standards 1 and 2 preferably maintain suitable supporting means such: as rollers 3 and 4' over which a movable work body 5passes.

Preferably this body is arranged to have one of its surfaces carry the chemical coma horizontal plane when passing from the top. of one roller to the; top of the other.

continuously driven by a desired power means, such as drive pulley 7, which receives apower transmitting belt 8, and in desirable instances the continuous movement of the body is interrupted by throwing the belt 8 to an idler pulley9- by means of a suitable controlling apparatus, herein illustrated as comprisinga forked lever 10 pivoted at 11 and adapted to be thrown by a rocker arm 12 oscillating in a standard 18. The .top; end of the rocker arm preferably engages the; lever .10 V by being positioned in aperture 14: and the free endof the rocker arm is provided with. a foot plate15 which is positioned to be easilyoperated byjan attendant, -The machine is preferably constructed so that the-top surface of the body between. the rollers has an operating length of between 30 to 40 feet.

In a machine which isadapted to have a chemical composition or gelatin applied to a portion thereof it is desirable to employ a suitable automatic means for applying the composition. An apparatus selected for the purpose is herein illustrated in the form of an endless belt 16 which moves around rollers 17 and 18 and carries the gelatin from a suitable heated container 19 to the proper portion of the machine to be coated, in this instance to the movable body. The roller 17 is preferably positioned on the container and may be adjusted to move with the changes in level oft'he gelatin in the container. The roller is driven by a suitable means, as belt 20, connected to a main power shaft (not shown).

A frame 21 carrying the rollers is held in predetermined position by the position of roller 17 I as held on the container 19 and by an arm 22 held on quadrant 23, which in turn is supported in a predetermined position in a standard 24:. When the quadrant is in its lowest position, the roller 18 substantially contacts with the movable flexible body 5 so that the gelatin carried by the belt 16 is received by the flexible body. The quadrant 23 is connected to a foot pedal 25 by rod 26 so that as the flexible body is interrupted by the movement of foot plate 15, the downward movement of pedal 25 will oscillate roller 18 so that the gelatin will not contact with the flexible body but will be carried back into the container 19, thus preventing the piling up of the gelatin on the work body and on the endlessbelt. Preferably the belt continues to rotate irrespective of its position either against or free of the moving work body. l/Vhen the drive shaft of the machine is again operated to move the flexible body, the roller 18 is oscillated to its normal supply position by releasing pedal 25 so that the gelatin is again carried to the flexible body. The gelatin container is heated by a suitable burner, herein illustrated as a gas burner 27.

As the flexible body moves, the surface, with the gelatin spread thereon, moves into contact with the supporting frame 6, and the gelatin becomes set or hardened by the effect of a suitable coolin medium maintained near the support. uccessful cooling has been obtained by passing cold water near the flexible body, and for purposes of description there is illustrated conduits 27 for conducting the water. Preferably these conduits are positioned so a greater cooling effect is obtained on the gelatin directly after it has been applied to the flexible body than is necessary to maintain the gelatin in set condition after it has been carried toward the right-hand end of the machine. A suitable master sheet having indications thereon, such indications being letters, characters, figures, etc-., is now applied to the .The master sheet is then removed and the surface inked. In this instance, ordinary printers ink is adaptable for use, but when the flexible body presents another type of surface or a different chemical composition, coloring material in contrast with the color of the chemical composition or a reacting chemical may be suitably applied to the surface as a substitute for the ink. The wellknown inking rollers 28, 29 and 30 and their supply receptacle 31 are preferably employed to properly ink the surface.

The surface of the flexible body as now prepared receives the sheets or paper upon which the duplications of the indications are made and the indications in the prepared or printing surface will be transferred to the sheets. The word paper as here employed is considered as being sufficiently broad to include plain paper, tracing or other kinds of cloth, bristol boards, and the like.

For purposes of convenience and efliciency, the standards 1 and 2 are provided with uprights 32 and 33 which carry tracks 34. A carriage 85 is employed to move along the tracks and is sufliciently large to receive a plurality of paper rolls 36 so that the paper may be'drawn therefrom and impressed on the surface of the flexible body. For convenience, the carriage has a depending arm 37 having an oscillating arm 38 mounted thereon, which in turn is provided with a roller 39. The arm is also provided with a frame 40 and roller 41 for guiding the paper from the roll, as illustrated, to the roller 39. This roller 39 presses against the moving body so that the paper is forced against the surface of the gelatin and the indications thereon are duplicated on the paper. A cutter 42, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is movable to sever the paper at a predetermined time or at will.

In some instances the carriage is not desired for use and it may then be moved to one end of the track and impressions taken by applying the paper or tracing cloth on the gelatin by hand. hen it is desired to make a large number of duplicates from.

the gelatin, the movement of the flexible body may be interrupted by operating foot plate 15 and the suitable number of duplications made, and then power again applied, and the flexible body continues in its predetermined path.

Any suitable means may be employed for obliterating the indications in the operating surface of the flexible body. In this instance, where the gelatin is employed, it preferably is removed by a scraper 43 mounted on standard 2, and is preferably biased into contact With the flexible body by meansof a spring 44. The destroyed gelatin is received in receptacle 45 and may be reclaimed in any desired manner.

From the foregoing detailed description of my apparatus it will be readily noted that the duplicating machine is arranged to have the gelatin applied to the movable belt as this belt during its/travel passes one point of the machine, that the coated belt passes to the printing operation portion of the machinewhere the duplicates are made, and that as the belt moves on the gelatin is removed. As the belt is adapted to have a continuous movement, it is seen that the gelatin coating operation, the printing operation, and the gelatin removing or scraping operation are all performed simultaneously.

This invention may be variously embodied and the particular form of the invention shown may be varied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A duplicating apparatus comprising an endless flexible body adapted to pass around a plurality of rollers and to receive on its outer surface a coating of a composition employed in making duplicates of im pressions formed thereon by the application of a master sheet, means interposed between said rollers for supporting said body as it passes from one roller to another and for holding said body in a predetermined plane during the process of forming duplicates and a stationary means juxtaposed to said supporting means and having therewithin a temperature varying means which is adapted to effect said composition.

2. A duplicating apparatus comprising an endless flexible body adapted to pass continuously or intermittently around a plurality of rollers and to move in a horizontal plane in passing from the top of one roller to the top of another, said body adapted to receive on its outer surface a chemical composition employed informing the duplicates, a plate interposed between said rollers for maintaining said body in horizontal position while duplicating operations are be ing performed on the portions of said body above said plate, conducting 'means associated with said plate for guiding a cooling agent near said body to cool said chemical composition, and a scraper positioned near one of said rollers and adapted to engage the surface of said body .to remove said composition after the duplicating process has been completed.

3. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of a flexible body having metal therein to resist wear and being adapted to receive a coating of material which reacts with a master sheet for purposes of transferring indications on to said coating and reacting later with blank sheets applied thereto to form indications thereon, said tinuous and interrupted movement and hav ing a portion of one of its surfaces automatically prepared for printing while printing operations are being performed on another portion of said surface.

5. In a duplicating apparatus the com bination of a body capable of having longitudinal movement over a horizontal plate which is adapted to support said body while duplicating operations are being performed on the portion of said body above saidfplate, a suitable plate for so supporting said body, said body being provided with a surface which reacts with a master sheet to form indications on said surface for duplicating purposes, a suitable impression roller for impelling paper sheets on tothe portion of the surface of the body located above said support, and means for destroying said surface after the duplications have been completed.

6. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of an endless body capable of being moved continuously around suitable supports, means for automatically applying to theouter surface of said body a material employed in making duplicates of characters formed in said material, and means for automatically removing said material after it has been employed in making the duplicates, the apparatus and the movement of the body being so arranged that while duplicating operations are being performed on one portion of said body theexhausted material is being removed from another por tion and the automatic applying means is operating to supply other portionsv of the body with said material.

7. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of an endless body passing over rollers, means for automatically placing a gelatin coating on said body, a cooling means positioned near the place for applying said gelatin for purposes of congealing said gelatin on to said body, means for placing on said gelatin a material having a color in contrast therewith, and means for removing the gelatin from said body.

8. In a machine the combination of an endless Monel metal filter cloth adapted to be moved over rollers, automatic means for supplying a chemical composition to a portion of said cloth while duplicating operations are being performed on other portions of said cloth which have been supplied with said composition, and means for removing said composition after operations have been performed thereon, said removing means adapted to operate simultaneously with the composition supplying means and during the operation of forming duplicates.

9. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of a flexible body adapted to pass over a plurality of rollers and to have a chemical composition applied to one of its surfaces by having an endless belt carrying said composition brought into contact therewith while said body is moving, a permanently positioned means for conducting a cooling agent in proximity to said composition to harden it in position on said body, means for supporting said body during the process of making duplicates in a nonresilient position although allowing said body to slide over said supporting means, and control means for governing the movement of said body and of the application of said chemical composition.

10. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of a flexible body adapted to pass over a plurality of rollers and to have a chemical composition applied to one of its surfaces by having an endless belt carrying said composition moved into and out of contact with said body, said composition employed in making duplicates, a plate interposed between said rollers for supporting said body in a horizontal position between said rollers but permitting said body to slide thereover, a series of pipes associated with said plate throughout its length for con ducting a cooling medium in proximity to said composition to congeal the same on to said body and to maintain the composition in an operating condition during the process of forming duplicates, and a suitable means for governing the movement of said body over said rollers and another means for moving said composition carrying belt into and out of contact with said body.

11. A duplicating apparatus comprising a frame adapted to support a plurality of rollers and a power-means for driving one of said rollers, a suitable endless body movable around said rollers and adapted to receive a chemical composition on one of its surfaces for purposes of making duplicates of characters formed in said composition after it has emuel been congealed on to said body, a plate positioned between said rollers for supporting said body in a predetermined position and arranged to have said body slide thereover, a series of pipes ailixed to said plate for conducting a cooling medium in proximity to said body for purposes of congealing said composition, a series of rollers one of which runs in an ink supply and another in engagement with the surface of said composition for inking said surface, and a scraper suitably mounted on said frame and in engagement with the outer surface of said body as it passes over one of said rollers for removing said composition as the body passes from the duplicating position in said machine to a nonduplicating position.

12. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of a supporting frame carrying a plurality of rollers, an endless conveyor passing over said rollers, and adapted to receive on its outside surface a chemical composition employed in making duplicates of characters formed thereon by the application of a master sheet, said composition being nutomatically applied by a suitable means carried by said frame, a plate held by said frame in a position between said rollers to support said conveyor in a horizontal position while duplicating operations are being performed, pedal operating means for controlling the movement of said conveyor, and a flexible roller means adapted to cause sheets of paper to be pressed into contact with said composition in forming duplicates, said flexible means being supported by a carriage movable over part of said frame that extends above said conveyor, said carriage adapted to carry a supply of paper.

13. In a duplicating apparatus the combination of a flexible metal belt mounted to revolve around two rollers suitably positioned in a frame one of said rollers being driven, said belt adapted to receive a gelatin coating on its exterior surface by having an endless belt carrying said gelatin moved into and out of contact with said metal belt while the same is moving, said coating adapted to receive a master sheet with characters formed therein andto have the same transferred to said gelatin for purposes of making duplicates, suitable pedal means associated with said frame for controlling the movements of said metal belt and of said gelatin carrying belt, a supporting plate interposed between said rollers for maintaining said metal belt in a predetermined position during the formation of duplicates but allowing said belt to slide thereover, a series of conduits mounted on said plate for conducting a cooling liquid into proximity with said gelatin to harden the same on to said metal belt and to maintain said gelatin in this condition during duplicating operations, a series of ink rollers adapted to convey ink from a suitable supply to said gelatin, a carriage mounted on said on said frame and adapted to bear against frame ina position above said metal belt and said metal belt as it passes over one of said 10 adapted to carry a supply of paper which is rollers for purposes of removing said impressed on to said gelatin to make the (111- gelatin.

plicates, a series of rollers held by said car- In testimony whereof, I have signed my riage and adapted to guide said paper onto name to this specification this 23rd day of said gelatin and to press the same into en- February, 1921.

gagement therewith, and a scraper mounted MERLE G. HALE. 

